Flowers Speak Louder Than Words
by RacheltheBooksandAnimeGeek
Summary: AU Shana is the daughter of Alastor Nietono, a rich man who owns a demolition company. One day, The maid, Wilhelmina, shows her a book full of flowers.
1. Chapter 1

**Disclaimer: I do not own any of the characters from Shakugan no Shana. It is the property of J.C. Staff and FUNimation.**

I remember when Wilhelmina taught me the language of flowers. I was 8 years old, and it was a sunny day outside, but I was inside playing, specifically in the library of my father's mansion. A huge book suddenly dropped from the shelf, startling my antics. As I went to go pick it up, I remembered being entranced by the cover. It was a simple vine carving, seemingly wrapping all the way around the core, but was so intricate that my curiosity peaked. When I tried to get it open, I noticed that a lock was on it, preventing me from doing so. I went outside, carrying the book in my arm, and ran to where my father's maid and my caretaker Wilhelmina was watering the garden.

"Wilhelmina! What is this?", I asked, as I held the book up to her so she could see it. She looked at it, her startling gaze fixed on it for a moment. Then she replied,

"Where did you get that?"

I was confused for a moment. Was this a trick question? Where else do you find a book?

"I found it in the library. It suddenly dropped from a shelf. Is there something wrong?"

Her gaze softened, her frown turning into a small smile.

"I didn't know I still had that. Would you like to see what's inside, Shana?"

I smiled happily at that. "Yes!"

She told me to wait there for a second, as she went back inside for awhile. I just sat and stared at the pond near the beds, watching the fish under the water swim around until Wilhelmina came back. When she did, she was holding a tray of tea. She beckoned me to the table near the birdbaths, and I ran and sat in the chair while she poured it. As she handed me a cup of earl grey, she pulled out a key from one of her apron pockets, and asked for the book. I gave it to her, and she inserted the key. The key fit. As Wilhelmina opened it, the pages revealed all kinds of incredibly beautiful plant and flower drawings and writing accompanying each one. Wilhelmina smiled and said,

"This is a flower book. It reveals all kinds of things about all kinds of plants. This is my father's journal. He was an observer of nature, particularly flowers. He wrote and drew all of these things himself. What do you think, Shana?"

I stared at it, amazed. Wilhelmina's FATHER did all of this?

"I think it's amazing! Could you show me some of the things he wrote?"

Wilhelmina took a sip of her tea. Then she replied,

"Of course, my dear."

Wilhelmina showed me everything in it. Her father wrote everything about every flower that there was to learn about. Their colors, their environments, the proper way to grow them, the rooms and designs that they would look good with... but my favorite category was the different meanings of all of them. I was surprised by how many meanings one flower could possess, depending on the various countries and religions. So enthralled by the journal, I asked if I could keep it and study it. Wilhelmina held no objections. She did have one condition, though.

"I ask that you keep it in the library. I believe it would take up so much space in your room, which should be reserved for other things. Also, you can show Alastor-sama when he comes back, and he usually retires himself to the library after he returns. Just make sure that you're not distracting him too much, Shana. He is a busy man, after all."

My father, Alastor Nietono, was and still is the owner of a demolition company. He succeeded in making a profit, and it allowed him to become very rich and buy the mansion that we live in now. My mother died giving birth to me, so my father hired Wilhelmina Carmel to be our maid and my nurse in exchange for money and a room in our home. Wilhelmina is essentially my mother figure, and I love her to death. My father, when he isn't busy, is also very loving. He took time off just to spend time with me quite a few times. I wasn't able to show him the huge flower book that night, which of course made me upset, but I knew his work was important, so I didn't stay that way for long. But when I did manage to show it to him, I explained everything that I learned from reading it. He was impressed, and complimented me on learning so much, which made me blush and hug him. He responded quickly, picking me up and holding me for the first time in a year. He stroked my hair, and whispered in my ear,

"You are so much like your mother, my precious daughter. She would be so proud of your fast learning."

Before I went to bed, he jokingly said, "Just make sure it doesn't distract you from school, my darling!"

I laughed, responding, "It won't, I promise, daddy!"

* * *

After I entered middle school, I heavily focused on my schoolwork. I never forgot about the book, but I never had time for it. I wanted to make my father proud, and I wanted to keep my promise. I almost always received A's, which never ceased to please him. I also let my ebony hair grow out so long that it fell to my waist. Whe I was in school, I always had it in two pigtails, which made everyone make fun of me, but I didn't care about that. In middle school, I also started taking karate and kendo, because I was weak in sports as an elementary school student and wanted to make my body stronger. I succeeded, making my way to the top, which impressed my teachers because I was a late starter. But this meant that I didn't have a lot of body fat, which also meant that I had an average chest. All the girls made fun of me for it. I didn't get bothered by them so much as I found out that the boys felt the same way and were talking behind my back. This led me to having almost no friends, except for those in the karate and kendo teams. But even then, none of the families were wealthy, just middle class, which those people made fun of me for being rich.

"I bet your daddy PAID the teachers to put you on top! What, not gonna call your daddy for getting beaten? It's not fair! You TOTALLY have a personal trainer, don't you?! Why doesn't your father give some of the money to US, huh?"

It was those comments that hurt me the most. Why is it MY fault for being wealthy? Was I ever mean to them in any way? What did I do to be bullied? When I told the teachers about it, they defended me. But I knew they just wanted to be recognised by my father. But he caught on to it too. He simply thanked them, and then demanded them to leave. This turned THEM against me. I noticed that they would often sit me out and refuse to teach me, as if I had done something wrong. The other students just sneered at me and told me that it served me right. Soon after, my father took me out of the dojo. The bullying was really taking a toll on my grades and my health, as I would often be exhausted from crying in my pillow on most nights, and my grades were dropping from A's and B's to B's and C's, which he was upset about, but he didn't get mad at me, knowing that it wasn't truly my fault.

One night, my father came into my room, where I was struggling to stay awake while doing homework. When I noticed him, I was afraid of what he was going to say.

"Father, I-!"

My father simply shushed and picked me up. Despite my age, I still had a small body, and my father was a tall man anyway, so I fit perfectly into his arms as he carried me into the library, where a tray of tea was set up. He sat me down, and poured me a cup. I didn't want to look him in the eye. As he sat down with his cup, he spoke to me.

"Shana."

I was almost in tears, but I knew I had to face him. I slowly raised my head to look at him in the eye, afraid of what I would see. I was shocked. There was no trace of anger, or disappointment. All there was, was love.

"Shana, I'm suggesting you take a small break and clear your mind. This tea will help you. Drink it."

As I raised the cup to my lips to take a sip, he brought out a book. And not just any book. My favorite book. The one of the flowers. I widened my eyes. In the midst of all the pressure of school and the kendo and karate, I had slowly forgotten about it. My father knowingly smiled and said,

"How about we take a look at this, shall we? This book has always succeeded at making you happy."

I let out a laugh, and ran around and jumped into his lap. I told him my favorite ones, which were the arborvitae, lily, berrirose, and cherry blossom, but I enjoyed the anemone, plumeria, and poppy as well. He asked why. I answered,

"Because of their meanings.

The Arborvitae means everlasting friendship. The Lily usually means purity and chastity. The Berrirose can mean three things: choose your destiny, I won't forget my promise, and I'll love you forever. It's OUR flower, Father!"

He smiled at this. Then he simply asked, "What about the other ones?"

"Oh! The Cherry Blossom can mean a good education, as well as kindness and feminine beauty, the Anemone can mean forsaken, anticipation and unfading love, the Plumeria means perfection, springtime, and new beginnings, and the Poppy... well, it depends on the color."

"Tell me, my darling."

"Okay! The regular poppy can mean eternal sleep, oblivion, and imagination. The red poppy means (gulp) pleasure. The white poppy means consolation, dreams, and peace, and the yellow poppy means wealth and success!"

"Why do you like these flowers specifically?"

"I believe they all represent me, or something I want, something I desire. And they're all pretty! At least I think so!"

"Hmm... I agree with you on your choices."

"Really?", I asked, happy that he approves, "What are your favorites, Father?"

He didn't say anything for a moment. Then he smirked and said,

"Not telling."

"WHAT?! But why?"

"Because you still have homework, my dear Shana. Now take your tea and go finish it!"

"You're so mean!"

"I know."

I grumpily did as he said, but on the inside, I was beaming, happy that he let me take time off my homework to cheer me up. It was refreshing, and it showed me how much he cared for me, which I know he couldn't do often. I was truly happy for the first time in months.

* * *

After that night, I started improving my grades. I suddenly felt happy, refreshed again. It's funny how a simple act could make such a difference, but I wasn't complaining. I still got made fun of in school, which I sometimes cried about, but my father's love and admiration was all I needed to keep me in check. With my sudden change in mood, Wilhelmina started talking to me more frequently, as she'd been avoiding me because she didn't really know how to make me feel better, as I was always cheerful and smiley before. I didn't blame her, though. I still loved her just as much as Father.

One day, my father called me into his office to discuss something with him. He had a serious look on his face. I was worried. Was it about my grades? I had been improving steadily over the months, turning my B's to A's again. As I pondered over this, my father spoke.

"Shana. I would like to ask you something."

I was puzzled. _What could it be?_

"What is it, Father?"

"..."

"..."

"Shana, you are going into 9th grade next year."

"Yes?"

"There is a private academy on the northern tip of the country."

"..."

"All of the people there are wealthy. Some of them are even more wealthy than us."

"Uh..."

"Nobody is going to know you. You could make a brand new start there."

"Are you...?"

"Yes, my darling. I am asking if you would like to attend there."


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter 2 is up!**

_Four Months Later_

As I look up at the estate known as Xanadu Academy, I rethink back to when my father told me about it.

* * *

_"Yes, I would like you to attend there.", he said._

_I was silent for a moment. An academy up north?_

_"Where exactly is it?", I asked._

_"Up north, near Misaki City. The school is known as Xanadu Academy. Only children of wealthy people, who are going into 9th grade and up, are allowed to attend. The curriculum is very advanced, but it also depends on how well you did in middle and elementary school. They have many clubs, including karate and kendo, which I believe you'd be happy about. But given the fact that it's up north, you would have to stay there. Think about it, Shana. This could be a brand new start for you. Everybody is wealthy, so you won't be bullied for it. Nobody knows you, so you have nothing to worry about in regards to encountering those same people who have tortured you. You could make FRIENDS, real friends, and not just people who are using you just to get rewarded by me. You don't have to make me force you, and I'll give you time to think about it, but-"_

_"I accept!", I exclaimed._

_"Really, Shana? Like I said, you don't have to go if you don't want to..."_

_"No, really. Like you said, this could be my big break. I've always wanted to do something like this! It's just..."_

_"It's just..."_

_"Will I ever see you after I leave?"_

_"Of course, my dear girl. There's always Christmas break, and summer vacation. And there's a special dance soon after the year starts where the parents will get to see their children. Here, this is the manual for everything."_

_He hands me a small book, with an emblem of a torch and a yellow poppy on it. The flower of wealth and success..._

* * *

_The estate is certaintly bigger than I thought... I'm glad that I have a week to settle in..._, I think to myself as I walk into the gate, carrying a bag with a butler behind me carrying the rest of my things on a cart.

I look around at all the other people entering, hoping that I could make friends with at least _some _of them... and there were lots of people here, some of them looking more rich than me, some looking less rich than me, but I hoped that didn't matter here.

The estate looked somewhat like a smaller version of a city, with many various buildings for all the different classes, with stone pillars, windows that were shaped like a rectangle with a curvy tringle on the end, and uniquely designed columns with a roof shielding the entrances of each building. The dormitories looked equally as impressive. The boys and girls dormitories were connected, with a huge clock tower with a bell right in the middle, used for the morning and evening alarms. All of the entrances to everything were facing a gigantic courtyard, which had everything. A pond, benches, flower beds, a tennis court, a beach volleyball court, a black-top for basketball, various kinds of trees spread out, with the fallen cherry blossoms litering the ground. It even had a small swimming pool and various sidewalks where people could walk and run laps.

I walked to the sign-in lines, getting behind the M-N line, since they sorted it out by last names. The line was rather short, as only 9th graders were supposed to arrive today, followed by 10th, 11th, and 12th graders on the next few days, just so the 9th graders could adjust longer. When my name was crossed off from the list, the women handed me a room number.

Room 713 GD, for girls' dormitory, respectively.

...

When I got to my respective door, the butler handed me the cart with my things on it and gave me a bow goodbye. I took out the key that belonged to the room and inserted it into the lock. It turned easily. I took a deep breath, and slowly opened the door.

The room was pristine white, with a huge window overlooking the courtyard. The room itself was also big, big enough for two of everything. Two dressers, two desks, two bathrooms, two closets, and of course, two beds. One of everything was already occupied. A girl of my age, maybe a few inches taller, sat on the bed closest to the door, emptying what looked like one of her last boxes. She had short, light brown fair with a few clips and a small white bow on her bangs, pretty light brown eyes, pretty pale skin, and a chest that was so enviously bigger than my own. When she heard the door open, she stopped what she was looking and looked straight at me. We just stared at each other for a few seconds, and then she put on a big smile that was real (I would know), and got up from the bed and exclaimed,

"Hello! It's so nice to finally see who my roommate is! I'm Kazumi Yoshida. May I know what your name is?"

Yoshida. I know that name. It's the most popular home decoration company in all of Japan. My father mentioned them quite a few times on some of his phone calls. This must be their daughter.

"Shana... Nietono. It... it's nice to meet you, Yoshida-san."

I knew I was getting a roommate, and I was worried that she'd make fun of me too, whoever she was. This girl seems... really nice.

"Nietono? As in Alastor Nietono?", Yoshida asked.

I timidly nodded and blushed, suddenly afraid of what she would say.

"I didn't know he had a daughter. I hope we can become good friends, Sha... may I call you Shana-chan?"

I didn't know what to do, as I wasn't used to people being so nice to me. But if we could become friends...

"Uh... um... yes, yes you may."

With that, she gave a kind smile and said,

"I also like your outfit."

I was wearing a simple white sundress with white sandals. I had on a fire pendant that my father gave to me before I left, as well as a hat that was hiding my bunned up hair.

"Um... thank you."

She suddenly grabbed my hand and pulled me to where my things were outside.

"Now, let's get your things put away, okay?"

"Sure."

...

After we were all done, I simply lied down on my bed for a moment. In the dormitory, there were certain things you could bring and couldn't bring, and things you could do or couldn't do.

During school, you were to wear the standard uniform, a dark green fuku outfit with a lighter green bow and a short green skirt, alongside dark brown school shoes. You were permitted to choose your and style of sock, as long as it was standard color: black, white, or dark brown. You could also accessorize anywhere else, just not on the uniform.

As for luggage, you weren't to bring any furniture, as those were to be provided to you. If you damaged the property in any way, you were to pay for it and replace it. You could bring any type of clothes. Doing the laundry was given at a certain time for each room to go do it. You could accessorize the room however you pleased, except painting and thumbnail tacking. Special hangers will be given to you, and you given instructions on how to use them.

Boys and girls weren't allowed in each others' rooms unless given permission by a teacher or official, and you had to have a pass saying so. The doors also had to be open if that was the case.

With all these rules, I just hope I can survive here...

"Hey, do you wanna go explore?", I heard Yoshida-san ask me.

I opened my eyes. Yoshida-san was peering at me with a hopeful look on her face. I guess I _did _want to look a little...

"Okay."

She grinned and pulled me by the wrist off the bed and out the door.

**I changed my mind. This will just take how many chapters it will take to complete the plotline I want to do.**


End file.
